Proposed Direct Air Capture facility will use heat from Sizewell C

Seen as a tool for reducing carbon emissions, DAC technologies remove and carbon dioxide from the air, which can then be stored. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 18 DAC plants are operational in Europe, the US and Canada. 

The project being developed by Sizewell C and Associated British Ports (ABP) is designed to demonstrate a more efficient and innovative DAC process, which would be powered principally by heat.

In a statement, Sizewell C director, Julia Pyke, said: “DAC is one part of our plan to make Sizewell C a low-carbon hub, which will help kickstart other technologies and deliver even more value to our energy system.”

Sizewell C and ABP have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to finalise the commercial arrangements to lease a site at Port of Lowestoft, and the planning permission to build the facility will follow.

If the demonstrator project is successful, a permanent full-scale DAC unit could then use heat generated from Sizewell C to extract CO2 from the air. The full-scale DAC facility would be located at a separate location to the power station, with the heat transported through underground pipes. According to Sizewell C, the facility could potentially capture 1.5m tonnes of CO2 annually.